I am writing to endorse a candidate for the North Shore Board of Education. This is a person who has demonstrated commitment to the community and continues to give of her time to get the most for our school district. Joanna Commander is up reelection this May 16th. I first met Joanna when she ran and was elected as a member of the NSBOE and was impressed with only what I knew at the time, her warmth and personality. Since then, I have not only gotten to know Joanna, but have had the opportunity to work closely with her in my capacity as a member of the North Shore S.D. Legislative Action Committee and more recently in our shared commitment to recruit the best and most knowledgeable to work on the North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse. Given the unbelievable commitment of the large number of people in the N.S. community willing to serve on the NSCASA, Joanna worked tirelessly to ensure that when the committee is finally formed that they will be well suited to provide the community with a plan of action and support to help with the opiate epidemic infecting our community. Joanna did not take her responsibility lightly and met with many professionals more knowledgeable than even her to help gather the tools necessary to create a strong NSCASA. We would meet regularly and she would take the lead on meeting with professionals necessary to ensure that we not only met our recruitment deadline, but that this process was done with the best interest of the community in mind. Joanna approached every issue that arose throughout this process with a conviction that whatever we decided, at the end of the day, she was confident, that the right choice was made – no matter how difficult. Her personal views on every issue were set aside for what would be best for the NSCASA. At the end of the day, the decisions made by our BOE effects not only our students, but our community as a whole, that is why I support someone I have personally gotten to know is committed to the community. As Speaker Tip O’Neill famously opined, “all politics is local” and in this day and age where there is a lot of divisiveness in politics, it is refreshing to know that we can help elect someone that can really make a difference. If you have yet to decide, or you have decided and your decision is based solely on a friend of a friend who knows someone running, please make the effort to reach out to Joanna before Election Day and you’ll understand in a matter of minutes why Joanna is not only a good choice on May 16th, but my choice as well.Marty Glennon